[Stationery] I tried making a notebook like this with copy paper

I wrote an article like this last time.

The story up to last time was that I bought a punch that turns regular paper into loose-leaf paper at a stationery store I visited for the first time in a while, and I came up with the idea of making a notebook using this punch and the large amount of copy paper I have lying around at home.

This article is the continuation of that.

I have acquired the items necessary to make this notebook.

Here they are.

This is a product that comes with the ring part of a ring notebook and the cover as a set, and it seems to be well-known in the stationery world.

I chose it because the cover is moderately hard, so I thought it might serve as a writing pad when I write.

Now, let's start making the notebook right away.

First, I cut A4 copy paper in half to make it A5 size, and then I punch holes in it to make it loose-leaf.

Next, I cut that in half.

I set this into the refill notebook.

I thought it would be good to use a notebook in this state like this.

Write the question on the top paper, and the answer on the back of it.

Use the bottom paper as an answer sheet, and after writing the answer to the question, check the answer written on the top paper.

It's like a flashcard with an added space to write the answer, I suppose.

And I felt this could be used for descriptive measures for the First-Class Architect examination.

For example, for questions asking about general things like "what you considered regarding the air conditioning system," the basis of descriptive measures is to memorize the answers in advance rather than thinking about them during the exam.

If there is no need to write, just the flashcard part would be fine, but since you will be writing sentences in the actual exam, I dared to create a space to write, also serving as practice to "write in easy-to-read characters as quickly as possible."

If I summarize the items that are better to memorize in this refill notebook, I will be able to handle descriptive measures with just this one notebook.

As a test, I also tried making one using information cards for the top paper section.

This is the information card I used.

This is how it turned out when I made it with information cards.

When made with copy paper, there are no margins, so it feels a bit cramped, but when using cards, there are margins, giving it a cleaner look.

Oh, and when punching holes in the information cards, please be careful about where you set the paper.

For the first position, ignore the A5 or A4 guides and punch the hole at the position shown in the photo below.

Think of it as aligning it with the top of the slightly protruding metal part.

Next, align the guide with the 5th hole from the top and punch it to finish.

I think the punch alignment position will differ depending on the size of the information card, so please adjust accordingly when you try it.

I actually used it a little, and while the top paper is fine for writing questions and answers, the bottom paper only has the answer written on one side, which felt like a waste of the back side.

However, I solved this with the following method.

Once you have finished writing on one side of the bottom paper, remove both the top and bottom papers from the refill.

Flip the refill upside down.

Set the top and bottom papers back into the refill. At this time, set the bottom paper with the blank back side facing up.

Doing this returns it to the same state as the beginning.

This allows you to use the back side as well, so no paper is wasted.

Also, I felt that the A5 size is very good.

It doesn't take up much space when you spread the notebook out on a desk, and it's not too narrow when writing sentences.

It's not heavy when carrying the notebook around, and it doesn't take up much space in your bag.

I'm thinking about whether I could use this for other purposes, not just for preparing for the architectural licensing exam.

It started with trying to find a way to make use of a loose-leaf punch and copy paper, but now that it's finished, I personally think I've made something pretty good.

I'm not sure if this is the best way to study for the written exam, but I suppose the results of the year-end exam will prove that.

I'm sure some flaws I haven't noticed yet will appear as I use it, so I plan to make adjustments as I go.

It's actually quite fun to customize and create your own personalized tools.

The end.